Builders Tweaking Retirement Communities for Boomers
More baby boomers are reaching retirement age and, as one might expect, they’re not content to settle for their parents’ retirement; boomers are instead looking for retirement communities that will cater to their active lifestyles and foster their sense of community. Developers are noticing this shift and tweaking their communities to better suit the needs of boomers, who now number some 75 million individuals—currently representing one-quarter of the U.S. population and exceeded only by millennials.
Retiring boomers are specifically looking for communities near city centers, in part because many are still choosing to work in some capacity after retiring—not for them the bucolic retirement communities’ miles from town that were so admired by their parents’ generation.
Personal fitness has emerged as another top priority for today’s seniors, with more of them opting for indoor group fitness classes and hiking rather than more leisurely activities like golf—their parents’ game. Group fitness classes might be popular because the need for community is important to this demographic, especially for those who live alone.
In fact, some baby boomers are creating their own retirement communities with an emphasis on mutual sharing and caring. Resident-created retirement solutions can take on many forms—from shared homes to co-housing communities, where people settle in one neighborhood and agree to care and watch out for each other. With these new possibilities, baby boomers will have choices that fit their specific needs and lifestyles.